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(NoModeL) H. M. MINER.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOFING FABRIC}. No. Z7Q 84L' Patented Apr.17, 1883.

T 0 all whom it may concern NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. MINER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRANITE ROOFING COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF SAME PLACE,

' APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOFING FABRIC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,841, dated April 17, 1883.

Application filed January 27, 1883.

Be it known that I, HENRY M. MINER, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Roofing Fabric; and I do hereby dcclare the following to be a'full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-,-

Figure 1 is a side View of my improved apparatus for making sand-coated roofing fabric. Fig. 2 is a side view of the traveling sand-box. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hopper.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The vat or apparatus a, in which the tar or similar material is applied to the web, is placed at one end'of a table, I), and a track, 0. A suitable furnace, at, is placed nnderthc vat for the purpose of keeping the bath in a melted or fluid condition. A traveling hopper, d, for containing sand or other similar coating material, is sustained and travels on' the track 0 by means of rollers c. It is provided with a narrow slot or opening, (1, in the bottom, of the width of the sheet to which the sand is to be applied, which opening is controlled by a valve, (1 operated by a lever, d or other suitable means. On the rear side of the hopper is a projecting shelf or flange, 6, provided with a clamping-bar, e, which is capable of being brought down on the face of the part eand secured there by a suitable catch or holder, 6 The table b is composed of a series of removable rollers or bars, b, mounted on standards b or, if desired, it may be made with a flat plain surface.

I will now describe how the foregoing apparatus is used in connection with the vat a when it is desired to make a roofing fabric composed of a layer of roofing-paper having an under layer of burlap or suitable fabric and a sanded upper surface.

The paper, which is in'the form of a roll, is mounted on a suitable roller, 1'. The end of the web then passes down under a roll, 2, fixed in movable bearings 3 in the lower part of the vat, thence up and under a rod, 4, over a ser- (No model.)

| rated bar, 5, over a roller, 6, which carries a roll of burlap, and under the hopper 7, which is similar in construction with the hopper d, eX- cept that it is smaller and is stationary. The web of burlap is placed on the roll 6, and when the tarred web of rooting-paperv comes up out of the vat it passes over the roll of burlap, the end of which is laid against it, and then the united ends of the two webs are fastened to .the flange or shelf 0 at the side of the hopper d by means of the clamping-bar e. The traveling hopper d is then drawn forward over the table I), and carries with it the end of the sheet f. As the sheet f passes from themachine a it is sanded by means of the hopper 7. The sand thus spread upon its surface sinks into the tar. When the traveling hopper 61 reaches the end of the table I) or draws out the required length of sheet the sheet is cut off at the machine a and permitted to rest on the rollers or bars b of the table 1). Its forward end is then released from the traveling hopper d, and the hopper drawn back to the machine and reattached to the end of the sheet which projects therefrom. The rollers or bars b are drawn or removed from the bearings 11 and the sheet f is permitted to fall to the floor between the standards b and the rollers or bars replaced, so that when the second sheet is drawn from the machine it shall not drag upon the sanded surface of the first sheet and remove the sand. The operation just described is repeated but during this passage of the hopper d the valve d is opened and a thick stream of coarse sand is fed down upon the surface of the first sheet, which is now lying on the table 11, so that when the second sheet is drawn out and laid on the top of the first one there will be'interposed between the two sheets a layer of sand of any desired thickness. This operation is repeated until the pile of sheets reaches the desired number, and then they are permitted to rest any desired length of time to allow the weight of the superimposed sheets to cause the sand to be gradually merged orpressed into the tarred upper surface of the roofing-paper. The result is a roofing fabric having a hard, permanent surface of sand, which is so applied as to not interfere with the elasticity or flexibility of the sheet, and the grains of which are not liable to become detached by any ordinary handling to which it is subjected.

The apparatus just described enables me to manufacture this roofing fabric with great rapidity, and with a great saving in labor, and

consequently of cost.

Heretofore it has been necessary to first tar the paper or fabric and afterward to apply the sand without pressure. Such an operation does not secure the requisite tenacity of hold between the sand and the tarred surface, and does not make nearly so good an article.

I do not limit myself to the particular manner of applying the pressure to the sanded sheets, but include in my claim for the process subjecting the sanded. sheet to such a degree of pressure as will not be injurious to the sheet by causing the exudation of the tar, or the too great solidification of the composite sheet for the purpose of properly applying and embedding the sand. XVhenIspeakof sand I mean also such varieties of finely-broken stone or fine gravel as is suitable for the purpose.

What I claim as myinveution, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with a machine for tarring roofing paper or roofing fabric, ofa traveling sand box or hopper fitted with devices for drawing the sheet from the tarring-vat and of sanding the previously-made sheet, substantially as and for the purposes described.

'2. The combination, with a machine for tarring roofing paper or fabric, of a table or frame having sustaining rollers or bars for receiving the sheet as it is drawn from the machine,

which rollers or bars are capable of removal to permit the fall of the sheet, so that it shall not be exposed to the dragging of the next sheet, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The method of making roofing fabric havin g a sanded upper and dry lower surface, consisting of tarring a web of paper or similar ma HENRY M. MINER.

\Vitnesses W. B. CORWIN, T. B. KERR. 

